Biotropica最新文献

{"title":"Two observations of rescue behavior in wild Asian elephants","authors":"Arjun Kamdar,&nbsp;Samshul Ali,&nbsp;Hiten Kumar Baishya,&nbsp;Kaushik Barua,&nbsp;Rangjalu Basumatary,&nbsp;Parikshit Kakati,&nbsp;Nripen Kalita,&nbsp;Bibhuti Mazumder,&nbsp;Raju Saikia,&nbsp;Anupam Sarmah,&nbsp;Kushal Konwar Sharma,&nbsp;David Smith,&nbsp;Nitin Sekar","doi":"10.1111/btp.13414","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.13414","url":null,"abstract":"<p>We report two instances of rescue behavior in wild Asian elephants (<i>Elephas maximus</i>) in Northeast India. Adult males assisted adult females sedated during GPS-collaring efforts, pushing them away from perceived threats. These behaviors meet the criteria for rescue behavior, providing evidence of prosocial and cognitively complex actions in elephants.</p><p>Abstract in Assamese is available with online material.</p>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/btp.13414","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142860768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Is climate change to blame? Increased rainfall reduces emergence of Taiwanosemia hoppoensis (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) in coastal windbreak forests","authors":"Yuan-Mou Chang,&nbsp;Chung-Jui Kao,&nbsp;Chia-Hsuan Hsu,&nbsp;Shu-Ping Huang,&nbsp;Kent A. Hatch,&nbsp;Chih-Hao Hsieh,&nbsp;Jian-Hong Chen,&nbsp;Kai-Wei Chen,&nbsp;Hui-Lin Mei,&nbsp;Wenbe Hwang","doi":"10.1111/btp.13413","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.13413","url":null,"abstract":"<p>We found that increased rainfall reduced exuvial numbers and impacted populations of <i>Taiwanosemia hoppoensis</i> from coastal regions, likely due to prolonged soil flooding harming the subterranean nymphs. As climate change advances, long-term monitoring is essential to track cicada populations across taxa and regions, given their important ecological roles.</p><p>Abstract in Chinese is available with online material.</p>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142762420","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatiotemporal patterns of trophic niche variation within and among species of tropical coastal fishes","authors":"Esteban Galindo,&nbsp;Raul Costa-Pereira,&nbsp;Víctor Hugo Cruz-Escalona,&nbsp;Juliana López-García,&nbsp;María Verónica Morales-Zárate,&nbsp;José Tavera,&nbsp;César Augusto Salinas-Zavala,&nbsp;Andrés F. Navia","doi":"10.1111/btp.13411","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.13411","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Intraspecific niche variation shapes the structure and function of food webs, but we still know little about the magnitude and drivers of trophic variation within species in species-rich communities. Here, we examined how intrinsic (sex and life stage) and extrinsic (locality and season) factors affect the diet composition and trophic niche width of tropical fish species. Specifically, we studied co-occurring species with benthopelagic (&lt;i&gt;Stellifer ericymba&lt;/i&gt;, &lt;i&gt;S. melanocheir&lt;/i&gt;, &lt;i&gt;S. zestocarus&lt;/i&gt;, and &lt;i&gt;Larimus argenteus&lt;/i&gt;) and benthic feeding habits (&lt;i&gt;S. strabo&lt;/i&gt;, &lt;i&gt;Cathorops manglarensis&lt;/i&gt;, &lt;i&gt;Notarius troschelii&lt;/i&gt;, and &lt;i&gt;Urotrygon rogersi&lt;/i&gt;) on the central Pacific coast of Colombia. Overall, we observed strong spatial and seasonal effects driving variation in the consumption of (i) amphipods, copepods, and decapods for benthopelagic species and (ii) mollusks and polychaetes for benthic species. As expected, we observed little sexual diet variation; however, surprisingly, most species showed little ontogenetic diet variation. Seasonality strongly shaped the trophic niche width for most species, but effects were species-specific, suggesting no general pattern of seasonal niche expansion across species. In turn, spatial effects on the trophic niche width were congruent across species, which might be related to differences in the diversity of available resources between bays. Our results reveal the complex interplay between intrinsic and extrinsic factors in shaping resource exploitation by coastal fish. This high level of trophic plasticity may be a critical component for both the persistence of marine populations and the stability of local food webs.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;La variación intraespecífica de nicho moldea la estructura y función de las redes tróficas, pero aún sabemos poco sobre la magnitud y los factores que impulsan la variación trófica dentro de las especies en comunidades con alta riqueza de especies. En este trabajo examinamos cómo los factores intrínsecos (sexo y estadio de vida) y extrínsecos (localidad y temporada) afectan a la composición de la dieta y a la amplitud del nicho trófico de las especies de peces tropicales. Específicamente, estudiamos especies simpátricas de hábitos alimentarios bentopelágicos (&lt;i&gt;Stellifer ericymba&lt;/i&gt;, &lt;i&gt;S. melanocheir&lt;/i&gt;, &lt;i&gt;S. zestocarus&lt;/i&gt;, y &lt;i&gt;Larimus argenteus&lt;/i&gt;) y bentónicos (&lt;i&gt;S. strabo&lt;/i&gt;, &lt;i&gt;Cathorops manglarensis, Notarius troschelii&lt;/i&gt;, y &lt;i&gt;Urotrygon rogersi&lt;/i&gt;) en la costa central del Pacífico colombiano. En general, observamos fuertes efectos espaciales y temporales que impulsan la variación en el consumo de (i) anfípodos, copépodos y decápodos para las especies bentopelágicas y (ii) moluscos y poliquetos para las especies bentónicas. Como era de esperar, observamos poca variación sexual en la dieta; sin embargo, sorprendentemente, la mayoría de las especies mostraron poca variación ontogenética en ","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142762421","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Variation in biodiversity and abundance of functional groups of arthropods along a tropical elevational gradient in Puerto Rico","authors":"T. D. Schowalter,&nbsp;S. J. Presley,&nbsp;M. R. Willig","doi":"10.1111/btp.13412","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.13412","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Elevational gradients represent platforms for exploring the effects of environmental variation on biodiversity. The environmental correlates of these spatial gradients are likely to be modified during the Anthropocene, as species respond to global change drivers including warming and increased frequency of extreme events. We quantified variation in the abundance of four functional groups of canopy arthropods (i.e., folivores, sap-suckers, detritivores, and predators), as well as in aspects of biodiversity on each of six host-plant species along two elevational transects in the Luquillo Mountains of Puerto Rico: a mixed forest transect, traversing tabonuco, palo colorado, and elfin forests, and a palm forest transect, comprising only patches dominated by sierra palm (<i>Prestoea acuminata</i>). We expected gradients in arthropod abundance and biodiversity to be host-tree specific, and for gradients on palm to differ between transects due to a combination of mechanisms associated with host selection, rescue effects, habitat structure, and source pool dynamics. In general, abundance and biodiversity declined with elevation. The ways in which abundance declined with increasing elevation was contingent on host tree identity and on arthropod functional group, whereas all aspects of biodiversity declined with elevation in consistent manners regardless of host tree identity or transect. Similarly, turnover (beta components of biodiversity between sequential elevational strata) did not differ between transects. Decreases in productivity with increasing elevation may be responsible for gradients in abundance or biodiversity. However, host-specific and functional group-specific gradients suggest that elevational effects manifest differently depending on tree species identity and resource bases that are consumer specific.</p>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/btp.13412","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142762422","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An enemy's enemy is an ally: Competitive indirect interactions mediate coexistence of trees, grasses, and subshrubs in neotropical savanna","authors":"A. B. Giroldo,&nbsp;A. Scariot,&nbsp;J. B. Ferreira,&nbsp;P. Moser,&nbsp;I. L. P. Lima,&nbsp;W. A. Hoffmann","doi":"10.1111/btp.13399","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.13399","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Savannas are complex ecosystems where multiple growth forms, including grasses, trees, and subshrubs, coexist through intricate ecological interactions. Understanding the mechanisms that promote this coexistence is key to conserving savanna biodiversity. This study investigated the effects of grass competition on the survival and growth of trees and subshrubs, as well as the interactions between these two growth forms. Using three species of trees and three species of subshrubs, we conducted a greenhouse experiment to assess how competition between trees and subshrubs is influenced by the presence of grass. We found that grass competition significantly reduced the survival of tree seedlings, while subshrubs were unaffected. When trees and subshrubs competed directly, subshrub biomass was reduced, but only in the absence of grass. Tree seedling biomass was not affected by subshrubs, but was negatively impacted by grass in the absence of subshrubs. Both root and stem biomass of trees and subshrubs were reduced by grass competition; however, this effect was mitigated when grasses, subshrubs, and trees competed simultaneously. These results indicate that when grasses, subshrubs, and trees compete together, the intensity of competition is reduced, promoting coexistence and contributing to the balance of growth forms in savanna ecosystems. While fire is an important factor in savanna dynamics, our study emphasizes the critical role of competition in maintaining this balance. Future studies should explore how fire and competition interact to further our understanding of biodiversity and ecosystem function in Neotropical savannas.</p><p>Abstract in Portuguese is available with online material.</p>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142749162","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of forest conversion into cashew orchards on seed- and fruit-animal interaction rates in West Africa","authors":"Isnaba Nhassé,&nbsp;Raquel Oliveira,&nbsp;Daniel Na Mone,&nbsp;João Soares,&nbsp;Manuel Lopes-Lima,&nbsp;Ana Filipa Palmeirim","doi":"10.1111/btp.13403","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.13403","url":null,"abstract":"<p>We quantified seed removal and artificial fruit-animal interaction rates in forests and cashew orchards, in Guinea-Bissau, to understand whether the effects of land-use change extend into ecosystem functions. We found higher removal rates of pumpkin seeds in the forests, where rodents were more often involved in the seed removal events.</p>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142749163","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Medium and large mammal responses to fire in a neotropical savanna system in Guyana","authors":"Evi A. D. Paemelaere,&nbsp;Matthew T. Hallett,&nbsp;Kayla de Freitas,&nbsp;Susan Balvadore,&nbsp;Maxi Ignace,&nbsp;Allan Mandook,&nbsp;Nicholas Mandook,&nbsp;Matthew Lewis,&nbsp;Leroy Igancio,&nbsp;Mauritio Joaquim,&nbsp;Brian O'Shea,&nbsp;Nathalie van Vliet","doi":"10.1111/btp.13397","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.13397","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Fire management remains controversial worldwide, in spite of longstanding Indigenous burning practices that have shown benefits to biodiversity. In the Neotropics, limited information is available on wildlife response to fire, particularly for medium and large mammals. We conducted 1 year of transect surveys to detect signs and live sightings of mammals in the Rupununi, Guyana, within a habitat matrix of savanna, wetland, and forest, where Indigenous fire management is practiced. Species richness showed a non-linear relationship with time since fire. The number of live observations decreased with time since fire. Individual species responded differently, and this may be explained by habitat preference and post-fire resource availability. Savanna species—giant anteater (<i>Myrmecophaga tridactyla</i>), nine-banded armadillo (<i>Dasypus novemcinctus</i>), and crab-eating fox (<i>Cerdocyon thous</i>)—favored fire, while forest-associated species—agouti (<i>Dasyprocta leporina</i>) and tapir (<i>Tapirus terrestris</i>)—avoided fire prone areas, although some species showed no such response. Our data suggest that mammals in the Rupununi show an ecological response to traditional fire management practices, but that fires affecting forested areas or forest connectivity could negatively impact wildlife. We recommend the promotion of traditional knowledge of fire and fire management among Indigenous Peoples, and the integration of this expertise to inform fire management policies. Combining traditional and scientific knowledge may help people and wildlife adapt to fire regimes that are increasingly driven by climate change and anthropogenic activities within fire prone savanna and forest landscapes.</p>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/btp.13397","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142748877","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"2024 Julie S Denslow & Peter Ashton Prizes for the outstanding articles published in Biotropica","authors":"Jennifer S. Powers","doi":"10.1111/btp.13396","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.13396","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;p&gt;Every year, &lt;i&gt;Biotropica&lt;/i&gt;'s Editorial Board selects outstanding papers in our journal as the recipients of the &lt;b&gt;Julie S. Denslow&lt;/b&gt; and &lt;b&gt;Peter Ashton Prizes&lt;/b&gt;, with which we honor the outstanding articles published in our journal in the previous calendar year. Criteria for selecting the papers to receive these awards include clarity of presentation, a strong basis in natural history, well-planned experimental or sampling design, and the novel insights gained into critical processes that influence the structure, functioning, or conservation of tropical systems. Below, the authors of the award-winning articles describe what motivated their studies and how they hope the work will inspire other researchers; we hope you enjoy these insights into the process that led to their discoveries and ask that you join the Editorial Board of &lt;i&gt;Biotropica&lt;/i&gt; and The Association for Tropical Biology and Conservation in congratulating the 2024 recipients, whose articles appeared in the 2023 issues.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Margarita Lampo&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Margarita Lampo, Señaris, C., González, K., &amp; Ballestas, O. (2023). Smaller size of harlequin toads from populations long exposed to the fungal disease chytridiomycosis. &lt;i&gt;Biotropica&lt;/i&gt;, 55, 699–705. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.13220&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mauro Rivas-Ferreiro&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mauro Rivas-Ferreiro, Skarha, S. M., Rakotonasolo, F., Suz, L. M., &amp; Dentinger, B. T. M. (2023). DNA-based fungal diversity in Madagascar and arrival of the ectomycorrhizal fungi to the island. &lt;i&gt;Biotropica&lt;/i&gt;, 55, 954–968. https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.13245&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The study of fungal diversity in Madagascar has a long but fragmented history, with most of the early research dating back to the colonial period (until the late 1940s). During that time, tropical mycology in the colonies primarily focused on crop pathogens, and very few fungal specimens were collected or preserved in public collections. It was not until the 1990s that a series of opportunistic field surveys began to document the diversity of certain genera, such as &lt;i&gt;Marasmius&lt;/i&gt;, &lt;i&gt;Cantharellus&lt;/i&gt;, and &lt;i&gt;Russula&lt;/i&gt;. These surveys facilitated the description of new species and underscored Madagascar's unique yet vastly underexplored fungal diversity, which remains under constant threat.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Our project began in February 2012, when Dr. Bryn Dentinger, then Senior Researcher in Mycology at the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, conducted fieldwork in Madagascar with the help of Dr. Franck Rakotonasolo. Bryn was looking to explore the fungal diversity in the island, so he collected both fungal sporocarps (mushrooms) and roots from trees known to form ectomycorrhizal symbioses with fungi, so he could account for both the aboveground and belowground diversity of fungi. A second expedition followed in November of the same year, this time collecting only sporocarps. In March 2014, he returned with Dr. Paul Cannon and Dr. Laura M. Suz, also from RBG Kew, to collect both sporocarps and ectomycorrhizal r","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"56 6","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/btp.13396","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142665923","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of manakin gut passage on germination of a neotropical melastome shrub (Melastomataceae)","authors":"Katherine Rompf,&nbsp;H. Luke Anderson,&nbsp;Jordan Karubian","doi":"10.1111/btp.13393","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.13393","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Gut passage is an important but understudied component of animal-mediated seed dispersal that can impact germination and survival. Melastomataceae plants are abundant and ecologically important throughout the tropics, but studies have obtained contrasting results regarding effects of avian gut passage on melastome germination. We conducted a paired germination experiment to test how gut passage by four species of manakins—key avian dispersers of melastomes—affects germination of the pioneer melastome shrub <i>Miconia rubescens</i>. Manakin gut passage accelerated <i>M. rubescens</i> germination, with gut-passed seeds germinating an average of 5.1 days earlier than controls, and percent germination of gut-passed seeds was significantly higher at 20 and 40 days post-planting. Interestingly, manakin species varied in their gut passage effects, with <i>L. velutina</i> having stronger overall germination effects than <i>M. manacus</i>. Within species, greater body mass was correlated with higher percent germination and shorter times to first germination. Within <i>M. manacus</i>, seeds passed by females had significantly shorter times to first germination than seeds passed by males. Because control seeds were manually depulped in the experiment, the observed gut passage effects are likely attributable to minor scarification of the seed coat during gut transit. Our results suggest manakin gut passage can have biologically meaningful impacts on melastome germination, and the magnitude of these effects can vary based on manakin species, mass, and sex. This study refines our understanding of the “quality” component of seed disperser effectiveness in an iconic dispersal mutualism, with implications for plant community composition and recovery of deforested neotropical ecosystems.</p><p>Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.</p>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/btp.13393","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142748971","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Discreet but diverse and specific: Determining plant-herbivore interactions across a species-rich plant family in a tropical rain forest","authors":"Paola G. Santacruz Endara,&nbsp;Alix Lozinguez,&nbsp;Renato Valencia,&nbsp;Simon A. Queenborough,&nbsp;María-José Endara,&nbsp;Betzabet Obando-Tello,&nbsp;Thomas L. P. Couvreur","doi":"10.1111/btp.13392","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1111/btp.13392","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Studying plant–herbivore interactions within tropical rain forests is fundamental to understanding their ecology and evolution. An important aspect of plant–herbivore dynamics is the role of temporal and taxonomic variables in determining associations between herbivores and their host. Using the diverse and chemically rich plant family Annonaceae (Magnoliales), we conducted a year-long study in Ecuador's Yasuní National Park in lowland Amazonia. We focused on nine understory tree species across a broad phylogenetic range within Annonaceae. For these species, we investigated patterns of herbivory, identified herbivores through DNA barcoding, and documented unique ant–butterfly associations. In general, leaf damage ranged from 0.09% to 25%, with significant temporal fluctuations for three species. Notably, <i>Anaxagorea brevipes</i> and <i>Unonopsis veneficiorum</i> faced higher herbivore pressure when compared to the other studied species. We document a discreet but diverse herbivore community, with 40 larvae from 12 Lepidoptera families collected throughout the year. Our findings identify, for the first time across a phylogenetically diverse sampling of Annonaceae, the specialization of herbivores on our focal species. Overall, our data provide valuable information on herbivory patterns at the local scale for this important rain forest plant family. Furthermore, these findings contribute to our understanding of the ecological processes that influence plant species diversity in tropical rain forests.</p><p>Abstract in Spanish is available with online material.</p>","PeriodicalId":8982,"journal":{"name":"Biotropica","volume":"57 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.8,"publicationDate":"2024-10-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/btp.13392","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142749244","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}